Why a Refinish Changes the Deal
The finish on a second-hand electric guitar does more than look pretty. On a vintage or collectible instrument it is a substantial part of the value, and once it has gone, it cannot be honestly restored. A professional respray can leave a guitar looking immaculate, but refinishing typically knocks 25 to 40 per cent off the value of an otherwise original example — sometimes more if the guitar was a rare custom colour. Modern polyurethane and polyester finishes are harder to fake convincingly than nitrocellulose, but a skilled sprayer can still fool a buyer in poor light.
More importantly, a fresh coat of paint is the easiest way to hide a repaired headstock break, a filled tremolo route, dowelled screw holes, or a body that has been sanded far too aggressively. So treat the finish as evidence rather than decoration, and always check before you commit.
Start in the Cavities
Cavities are where refinishers get lazy, and they are your best diagnostic tool. Ask the seller whether you can remove the control cavity cover, the tremolo spring cover or the pickguard — better still, ask them to do it while you watch. What you want to see is a finish that matches the body in colour and texture, with a consistent, aged patina.
Look for:
- A different colour or sheen inside. A body that has been resprayed in one colour often shows an older, unfaded finish inside the cavities, or bare wood where the sprayer taped everything off.
- Overspray on the cavity walls, shielding paint or wiring. Mist on the inside of a cavity is a near-certain sign of a body respray.
- A "tan line" in the neck pocket. The pocket should match the surrounding finish. If the pocket is brighter and cleaner, the guitar has probably spent decades under a pickguard or plate, or the body has been resprayed.
- Paint in the screw holes. Original holes are clean. If paint has crept into them, or they look gunked and re-drilled, be suspicious.
Sanding Marks, Rounded Edges and Soft Details
Before a guitar can be resprayed, the old finish is usually stripped or sanded back, and that process leaves traces. Hold the body at an angle to a window or a bright torch and look across the surface rather than straight at it. Under a glossy top coat, sanding scratches often show as faint straight or diagonal lines that catch the light differently from the surrounding finish.
Run your fingers along the body edges, the horns of the cutaways and the waist. Factory edges have a crisp, deliberate radius. A body that has been sanded back by hand tends to have
softened, slightly wavy edges, and the binding — if there is any — can look thin, uneven or partially painted over. Check the areas around the neck joint and the insides of the cutaways especially, as these are awkward to sand and often give the game away.
Overspray, Screw Holes and Hardware
Overspray is fine, dry paint mist that settles where it shouldn't. It shows up on chrome hardware, pickup covers, the neck plate, and the plastic surrounds of the pickups and switch. Look at the edge of the pickguard where it meets the body: a genuine factory finish is clean underneath, whereas a respray often leaves paint creeping onto the guard or a tidy mask line that doesn't match the original.
Screw holes tell a story too. If the pickguard screws, strap buttons or control cavity screws sit in paint-crusted holes, or the holes have been enlarged and filled, someone has been in there. A refinish is also frequently the moment a guitar gains or loses a Bigsby, a humbucker route or a third pickup, so check that the routing under the guard matches the hardware fitted.
Check the Neck, Headstock and Fretboard
Refinishes are not limited to bodies. A resprayed neck often shows lacquer sprayed right over the fret ends, leaving a ridge of clear coat on the sides of the frets where the sprayer didn't mask the board. On a maple board, look for finish pooling around the fret slots and a slightly sticky, uneven feel as you run a finger along the edge of the board.
The headstock is the classic hiding place for a break repair, usually just behind the nut where the wood is thinnest. A repaired break that has been refinished may show a faint line, a change in the reflection, or a slightly different texture in the clear coat. Look at the back of the headstock and the neck in raking light for a hairline crack, and check that the tuner screw holes and the truss rod opening have clean, aged edges rather than fresh paint.
Ultraviolet Light, Ageing and the Final Questions
A small UV torch is one of the best cheap tools you can take to a viewing. Under ultraviolet light, old nitrocellulose finishes glow a dull, cloudy green, while modern poly finishes tend to fluoresce differently. A resprayed patch, a repaired section or a blend line will often show as a distinctly different shade, even when the guitar looks flawless in daylight.
Finally, ask direct questions. Has the guitar ever been refinished? Has it had a headstock repair, a refret, or any routing? Has it been kept in a case or on a stand? A seller who is happy to remove a pickguard, take close-up photos of the cavities and answer plainly is worth your time. A seller who is vague, or who won't let you look inside, is telling you something too. If in doubt, walk away — there are plenty of honest guitars out there, and a refinish is a discount you should be paid for, not a surprise you discover later.
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